Digital Backpack

NEW: Add A Learning Application

What

The Digital Backpack is a secure online portal for students to access learning applications. We use Clever as the tool to provide this service. (see video below for more information) All applications in Clever have a contract to be used by SFUSD students.

Where

The Digital Backpack (Clever) can be accessed from any browser by going to clever.sfusd.edu (see Device Specific Information section below for further details).

Who

All students and teachers at SFUSD have an account on Clever. Students are associated with their “homeroom” teacher.

Device Specific Information

Clever is browser based, which means you can find it from any internet browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.). Clever does not need to be accessed on a district computer, it can be used on any device.

That being said, using Clever on an iPad is a bit more difficult. You can find Clever either on the iPad's Safari browser OR you can download the Clever app for iPad. Please note that not everything runs smoothly on iPads in general; some applications require you to download a separate app, and some might not work at all. Clever knows that this is a pain point for our district, therefore they are trying to reduce this problem in future upgrades. For now, please make sure to test tools before using with a class on an iPad. In the Clever dashboard, teachers should have access to tools that their students have access to, for test runs like these.

Badges

Who

Clever offers “Badges” as a way to help PK-3 students log in. Badges are individualized QR codes that let students log into Clever without remembering their user name and password.

Usage

A Clever Badge is a printed QR code students hold up to a computer's webcam to log in SFUSD’s Digital Backpack instead of typing a username and password. Badges also allow students to log into any district-managed Chromebook device at a K-5 or K-8 school.

Click here to learn more about a new way SFUSD is helping to streamline the process by which sites enter into contracts with learning applications.

Learning Applications in our SFUSD Digital Backpack!

Due to student data privacy concerns, SFUSD cannot and should not share student data with applications that collect sensitive data from our students. The only way we can share student data is if there is a written agreement in place between the district and the application.

We are exploring ways to enter into an agreement with free applications that would allow access for students and teachers while also being safe with our students' data. Until we find a solution, we recommend tools that we already have a contract with (Google!), tools that require a contract (which includes language about protecting student data), or tools that require no login at all.